Invalid&#39;s reading-stand.



j. URBANEK.

INVALID'S READING STAND.

APPucATmN FILED DEc.24. 1914.

Lll Patented July 13, 1915.

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INVALIDS READING STAND.

APPLICATION FILED DEc.24. |914.

l, 145,2 l 6'., Pamed July 13, 1915.

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JOSEPH URBANEK, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

INVALIDS READING-STAND.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 13, 1915,

Application filed December 24, 1914. Serial No. 878,945.

T0 all lwhom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH URBANEK, a subject of the Emperor of Austria-Hungary, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful yImprovements in Invalids ReadingsStands, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in invalids reading stands.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a convenient means for supporting a book or other reading matter adjacent a bed or chair and so adjusted "that its position may be changed at will bythe reader.

A. further object of the device is to provide an adjustable support for reading mat- ,ter removably attached to any base member whereby the support is readily shifted in a vertical direction at will upon the manipulation of push rods.

A still further object of the device is to provide an adj ustably mounted reading support which may be lowered by successive impulses upon an operating lever while an elevating of the' support is automatically effected upon pushing a spring trip lever.

l/Vith these general objects in view and others that will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel 'combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and then claimed.

In the drawings forming a part of lthis application and in which like designating characters refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views Figure 1 is ay front elevation of the device with the vmounting clamp shown partly in section.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken upon line II-II of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the device secured to the side rail of a bed. Fig. 4 is an elevation View of the shifting mechanism within its casing, the cover plate being `removed therefrom and the frame-work of the device being broken-away. Fig. 5 is an enlarged side view of a portion of the device, where the mechanism casing islocated. Fig. 6 is a horizontal transverse sectional view taken upon line VI-VI of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a longitudinal vert-ical central sectional view through the mechanism casing, and Fig. 8 is a horizontall transverse sectional view upon line VIII-VIII of Fig. 3.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, 'a main post 10 is provided and is in the form of a frame having a central chamber 11 therein which is provided with a removable closure plate 12 and is adapted to house the shifting mechanism for a rack bar 13 vertically slidable in a front slot 14 of the post, the said rack bar having teeth 15 upon its inner edge extending within the said chamber.

lThe post 10 is provided with a vertically shiftable clamp arm 16 slidably mounted in a vertical recess 17 adjacent the bottom of the post and is retained in the desired adjusted position by means of a set screw 18 whereby the post is removably as well as slidably mounted upon a convenient support such as an angle-iron side rail 19 of a bedstea-d. The clamp arm 16 has a depending linger 21 for engaging over the edge of the side rail while a fixed jaw in the form of an angular'plate 22 is secured to the bottom of the post and is adapted to engage the lower edge of the side rail 19.

A bracket or arm 23 preferably artistically formed, projects laterally from the post and is shiftably mounted upon the top the depending free end 30 of the supporting arm 23 and hasa ball 31 seated therein while a collar 32 surrounds the said ball and is adapted to engage the same for locking the ball within the said socket at the desired adjustment by means of set screws 33 projecting through the collar and an annular flange 34; on the Isocket member 29. A reading stand or,v supporting table 35 is rigidly secured to the ballv3l and it will be evident that the said table may be shifted upon the universal joint to assume any desired position for reading purposes or gaining access to articles placedfupon the table.

A gear 36 is secured upon the shaft 37 which is centrally journaled transversely of the chamber 11 and in a horizontal position,

the said gear being in constant mesh with the teeth of the aforementioned rack bar. The shaft 37 is journaled at one end in a socket 38 formed in the post l0, while its other' end is journaled in a similar socket 39 'provided in the inner wall of the closure plate 12.

A coil spring 40 encircles the shaft 37 having one end fixed thereto as at 41 while the opposite end of the spring is anchored interior-ly of the chamber l1 as at 42. A ratchet wheel 43 is also secured to the shaft 37 while the teeth thereof are engageable by a finger 44 pivoted to the inner end of an actuating rod 45 slidably mounted through the post at the adjacent side of the chamber and terminating in a knob or handle 46. A leaf spring 47 carried by the rod 45 is in constant engagement with the linger 44 for retaining the same engaged with the ratchet wheel 43 and it will be evident that successive reciprocations of the rod 45 will result in turning the ratchet wheel 43 in a step by vstep movement which will wind up and tension the spring upon the shaft 37 and at the same time by turning the gear 36 will feed the rack bar and the table downwardly.

A release rod 48 is slidably mounted in the post l0 similarly to the rod 45 and terminates in an upwardly positioned knob, while its inner end has a pivotal pawl 49 mounted ythereon for'engaging the teeth of the ratchet wheel 43 during a turning of the said wheel and normally preventing a return revolution of the wheel during the spring uncoiling operation.

A fixed pin 50 is mounted within the chamber' 1l adjacent and beneath the pawl 49 whereby an inward longitudinal movement of the releasing rod 48 forces the pawl against the pin 50 thus swinging the pawl out of engagementy with the teeth of the ratchet wheel 43. rl`he ratchet wheel and spring being thus released, the spring will operate to turn the gear 36 during the unwinding of the spring which results in elevating the rack bar and the table. A spring 5l has one end secured within the chamber' 1l and its other end in engagement with the rod 48 for normally retaining the rod with its pawl adapted to engage the wheel 43 so that in order to release the pawl the inward impulse upon the rod 48 must be sufficient to overcome the spring 51, it being noted that the unwinding tendency of the spring alone is insufiicient to inwardly move the rod 48 as resiliently retained by means of the spring 51, while such tendency of the spring 40 would be to bind the rod 48 in the slot y Copies of this patent may be obtained for at once apparent, the post being removably positioned at the side of a bed, the arm 23 is shiftably adjustable thereover and the table capable of being moved as desired while the rack bar with its arm and the table may be lowered by operating the rod 45 and then automatically elevated by a singie impulse upon the releasing rod 47.

Jhile the form of the invention herein shown and described is what is believed to be the preferable embodiment thereof, it is nevertheless to be understood that minor changes may be made in the form, proportion and details of construction without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

"What I claim as new is 1. A device of the class described coniprising a post having a chamloer therein, a rack bar slidably mounted upon said post and having the teeth thereof extending within said chamber, a laterally shiftable arm adjustably mounted upon the top of the said bar, a reading table mounted for universal movement upon the free end of the said arm, a shaft transversely journaled within the said chamber, a gear meshing with the teeth of the said bar secured to the said shaft, a ratchet wheel upon said shaft, a spring encircling the said shaft and having one end secured thereto and normally under tension when the rack bar is in its lowered position, a rack bar lowering lever shiftably engaging the said ratchet wheel, a retaining pawl for the said wheel and a releasing rod for the said spring pivoted to the said pawl, a fixed pin in normal Contact beneath the said pawl, and a normal positioning spring for the said releasing rod.

2. A device of the class described, comprising in combination with a post having a housing and a rack bar slidably mounted therein, a shaft journaled transversely of said housing, a ratchet wheel supported on said shaft in mesh with said rack bar, an axial spring connected at one end to said shaft and at its other end to said housing, a manually-controlled pawl engaging said ratchet wheel adapted to revolve the same to lower the rack bar against the tension of the spring, and a second manually-controlled pawl engaging said ratchet wheel adapted to be released therefrom to permit the spring to automatically elevate the rack bar.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH URBANEK.

Witnesses PAUL FRYCZEK, NARBERT MUsTYNowIcz.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, ID. C. 

